Taxonomy & naming
Steindachner described the species in 1894 in the genus Pelmatochromis, and it remains in Pelmatochromis today, so the parentheses in the authority follow the Catalog of Fishes. Pelmatochromis is a West African genus, separate from the better-known Pelvicachromis.
Morphology
FishBase gives a maximum of 9 in TL for males or unsexed fish, which makes it a large relative of the dwarf West African cichlids. Colour pattern is not recorded in the sources available to the atlas.
Habitat
The type locality is the Du Queah River at Hill Town, Junk River and streams at Fisherman Lake, Buluma, Liberia. FishBase gives the range as coastal rivers from the upper Casamance River in Senegal south to the St. John River in Liberia, and lists the fish as demersal, in tropical water of 75–79 °F.
Feeding
FishBase describes it as omnivorous, feeding on small items such as detritus and insect larvae.
Mating
Mating behaviour is not documented in the sources available to the atlas.
Breeding
FishBase notes that it is probably an open-substratum spawner. No other breeding data are recorded.
In the aquarium
Keeping records are sparse. A roomy tank, warm water in the 75–79 °F range given by FishBase, and cover along the bottom suit a demersal fish of its size.
Conservation
FishBase carries an IUCN Least Concern assessment from 2019.